Telecare and community alarms
Telecare can help older, disabled, and vulnerable people live independently, safely and securely at home, whilst providing reassurance for carers.
What is telecare?
Telecare is a 24-hour monitoring system that uses a range of sensors and alarms to help people live safely and independently in their own home, with the reassurance that help is at hand in an emergency.
Telecare services are available to people, aged 18 years or over, with an illness, sight or hearing loss, or a physical or learning disability.
How does telecare work?
A basic telecare package includes a home telephone unit and an emergency button. This button can be fixed to the home unit or worn as a pendant.
When the button is pressed, or activated by a telecare sensor, the home unit raises an alert at a 24-hour call centre where trained staff will take appropriate action. This could be contacting a relative, friend, medical professional or emergency service.
Telecare detectors and sensors
There are a number of sensors that can be added to a basic telecare package. These can also raise an alert if:
- An unlit cooker has been left on
- A person leaves their bed and fails to return after a specified period of time
- An external door is opened and a perosn has walked out but not returned
- Extreme temperatures occur within the household.
Home security packages
Telecare can also provide special home security alarms that can be easily fitted, such as:
- An intruder alarm
- A smoke detector
- A bogus caller alert
- A carbon monoxide detector
How do I get telecare services?
To find out how telecare could help you, please contact Southwark's Monitoring And Response Team directly on 020 7525 2999
If you have a basic telecare package and would like to get additional telecare sensors from adult social care, you will need to have an assessment to determine if you are eligible for this support.
Alternatively, there are a number of organisations who can offer sensors, detectors and alarms without the need to have an assessment.
